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TIME SKIP ONE MONTH
Spencer was lying in his hospital bed trying to find out how Hotch was. None of the team were answering his texts and when he rang the hospital they denied having a patient by the name Aaron Hotchner. If only he hadn't been on the opposite side of the city when he got shot, he might have been able to convince the paramedics to take him to the same hospital. Then his team would have visited him and he would have been able to get some answers. He was trying not to feel sorry for himself when Tony stuck his head in. "Up for visitors?" He asked.
"Tony? How'd you know I was here?" Spencer asked.
"Jodie told me you were shot in the line of duty. The shooting made the news though you weren't mentioned by name, so it wasn't hard to figure which hospital you'd be in. I am a great investigator, you know?" Tony said jovially.
Spencer went pale.
"What's wrong? Do you need the nurse?" Tony asked already reaching for the call bell.
"Foyet, he's after our team, he's already got Morgan and Hotch and if you could find me he could too," Spencer said panicked.
Tony could see that Spencer was truly afraid and he knew the younger agent well enough now to know it took an awful lot to shake him. If Spencer was this worried then the threat was very real.
Tony pulled out his phone and called in a marine guard for his friend claiming he was a witness in danger of retaliation. He then used his smartphone to do an image search on George Foyet showing Spencer the pictures. Spencer ID'd the right one and he checked though to see if he could find a clearer picture.
"I've told them you are a witness that needs to be protected whatever the cost. I'll get Gibbs to clear it with the director, mind you they'll probably bill the FBI for their expenses." Tony grinned.
"Thank you, Tony," Spencer said with an enormous look of relief.
"You think he'll find you and kill you? Is this guy really that dangerous?" Tony asked.
"He'll find me, he was smart enough to escape from a federal penitentiary. As for killing me, that would depend on what he thought would cause my team the most pain, killing me or attacking me and leaving me alive," Spencer stated with certainty.
"He's that good? That dangerous?" Tony questioned. He knew Spencer's team tracked down serial killers but he still had a hard time reconciling the young man in front of him as a target for some of the most dangerous men in the world.
"Foyet is the Reaper," Spencer replied quietly.
"The Boston Reaper?" Tony asked suddenly very glad he was armed. He pulled out his gun and took up a guard position where he couldn't immediately be seen from the door. "I won't let him hurt you. Will you recognise him by sight? If he comes in dressed as a nurse or an orderly or something?"
"Yes," Spencer said relaxing back now he knew he wasn't in danger. "I should ring the rest of the team and make sure they're taking precautions too, especially JJ and Henry. He's never gone after a child before but taking Henry would cause the most havoc if Jack and Haley are protected and he can't get to him. And I'm sure that would have been the first thing Hotch asked for when he regained consciousness."
He tried to ring them all including Will LaMontagne, leaving messages when he couldn't get through.
"None of them answered?" Tony asked concerned. He'd been surprised to find Spencer alone. When he was injured in the field Gibbs, Tim, Ducky and Abby tended to hang around the hospital as much as they could while still solving the case and getting the person who'd injured their team mate. Spencer said the case had been solved and the perp locked up but still none of his team were there. And now they weren't even answering Spencer's calls. It was unfathomable to Tony that their absence could be the result of anything but the most serious terrorist threat or attack.
Spencer must be going out of his mind with worry.
"Did you do something to upset them all?" Tony asked teasingly, pretending it could be a personal reason his team wasn't here. He was trying to make Spencer stop worrying but it backfired badly.
"Not that I know of," Spencer said sadly. "They're worried about Hotch, I get that."
"If they're up in ICU visiting Hotch then they'll have their phones turned off," Tony said gently.
"Yeah but if he's in the ICU then only two of them could be in his room at a time," Spencer said dejectedly. "You'd think that one of the others would be willing to leave the hospital for long enough to let me know what's going on and ask about my injuries, or to set up protection for me if none of them want to leave Hotch.
When the marines got there, Tony relaxed and showed them the photo and stated that the man was not to be allowed access to Doctor Reid under any circumstances, that he was armed and extremely dangerous man who had killed over thirty people and that if he tried to attack them they should take him out with extreme prejudice first and then call him to deal with the fallout.
"I'd better go Reid. I need to go and justify the marine guard with my boss and the director," Tony said. "You'll be safe with them here. I'll be back as soon as I can. Is there anything you'd like me to bring you?"
"Won't you get in trouble using marines when it isn't a NCIS case?" Spencer asked anxiously. He was incredibly grateful for the marines outside his door but he didn't want his friend to get into trouble for it."
"The Director won't like it but he'll probably bill the FBI for the expense," Tony replied. "Don't you worry about it. I'm the senior field agent on his top team, I have the authority to do this and you can't say it isn't necessary." Tony said pretending a confidence he didn't feel. Normally this wouldn't have fooled Spencer but the pain, the meds and the relief he'd felt being protected had him far enough off his game that he believed his friend and relaxed.
-o0o-
Spencer stirred anxiously reaching for the weapon Tony had left him when Tony entered the room later that night, relaxing when he realised who it was. Tony was angry to see that the young agent was still alone and looking around the room there was no sign that any of his team had been to visit in the interval Tony was away organising his protection and getting it authorised. It had taken him over an hour and he was sure Spencer's team would have shown up by now.
He handed over the cup of coffee he'd brought for his coffee addicted friend, laughing as Spencer moaned in pleasure at the taste of the sugary liquid.
"Was your director very angry?" Spencer asked.
"Not at all but she's already been on the phone with your director insisting that the FBI reimburse the expenses of the marine guards," Tony replied. "In fact, I think she was enjoying herself sticking it to the FBI that they were so negligent with their agents that they needed NCIS help to recognise a genuine threat and take action. She also sent a marine detail to JJ's house to provide protection for Henry and Will, though she did agree to let the FBI take over that protection detail once they got their heads out of their asses and got a team in place. She would have sent one to Hotch's wife and son too but they've already been collected by the FBI and the Marshalls were called to St Bartholomew's so it looks like they're going into witness protection."
Spencer was almost in tears. "Thank you," he sniffed. "You don't know how much it means to me."
"Spence, I know how much you love that little boy," Tony said squeezing his shoulder. "And you were right that attacking him fits Foyet's profile."
"Yes," Spencer agreed.
"Are you hungry?" Tony asked.
"Not really I'm still a little nauseas from the pain meds," Spencer replied.
"At least they don't send you loopy. I'm not responsible for anything I say when I've been doped up by the docs," Tony said ruefully. He frowned noticing that Spencer still looked quite uncomfortable for someone hooked up on the good drugs.
"I'd tell you to insist on the non-narcotic pain meds like I do, but it will make your Doctors think you're an addict," Spencer replied blushing.
"Spencer?" Tony exclaimed in shock.
"It's a long story. I was held captive by an unsub with DID and one of the personalities tried to help me escape the torture of one of the others by injecting me with Dilaudid. By the time I got free three days later I was addicted. It took a while for me to get clean, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done and I'm afraid that any form of pain meds will bring back the cravings," Spencer told his story looking firmly at the sheet covering him, not wanting to see disgust or condemnation in his friend's eyes. He waited for Tony to get up and leave.
Spencer startled when Tony laid his hand supportively on his shoulder for a minute before dragging his chair closer to Spencer. "It takes a lot of strength to survive being tortured. And you did get yourself clean. Spence, you ought to be proud of that, not ashamed. Don't let the unsub win like that Spence, don't let him ruin your self-esteem. He doesn't deserve to hurt you anymore. And the personality that injected you was trying to help, he wouldn't want you to still be hurting because of him."
His team had all tried to tell him that his addiction hadn't been his fault and that they were just glad that he'd gotten himself clean. But none of them had said it the way Tony had that beating himself up over his addiction was letting not Tobias but Charles Hankel and Raphael win. Spencer nodded.
Tony started chattering, telling him about his day at work, repeating the stories the current case had reminded Ducky of and anything else he could think of speaking in a slow calming tone until Spencer fell asleep. Unfortunately, he didn't sleep for long before the nurse came in to wake him up with her blood pressure cuff and the thermometer in his ear and Tony had to talk him to sleep all over again.
-o0o-
Will frowned and resumed pacing around the living room as JJ's phone went straight to voicemail again. He'd already left messages on her cell phone and her work phone asking her to call him urgently. He'd been freaked out when the Marine platoon had arrived and searched the surrounding area before leaving to guards on the front and back door of their house. They'd explained that they were there to protect him and Henry as one of the killers the BAU had been chasing had made several threats against the team and Agents Morgan and Hotchner had already been attacked. Now JJ had been out of contact for hours and he was going out of his mind with worry.
In desperation, he called Spencer.
"Reid," Spencer answered sleepily.
"Spence, what the hell? I can't reach JJ, she's not returning my calls and you're asleep? What's going on?" Will asked frantically. "Then these Marines turned up to protect us saying that we might be in serious danger."
"I'm afraid the Marines are my fault Will. I tried to call your house number," Spencer said apologetically.
"Where's JJ?" Will yelled.
"I don't know Will. I got shot during a case today and I haven't seen her since about ten o'clock this morning, she was working a different part of the case. We got the unsub so that case is over now barring the paperwork. But Hotch was attacked in his home last night by the Reaper, I don't know how much JJ has told you about him. A friend of mine found me after seeing the shooting on the news and once we realised how easy it would be for the Reaper to find me he arranged protection. Jack and Haley are going into witness protection, that left you and Henry as the most vulnerable and my friend decided to protect the two of you too."
"So what's JJ doing? Her phone's going straight to voicemail," Will asked anxiously.
"I don't know Will, she's not returning my calls either. None of the team are," Spencer replied becoming increasingly worried about his team. He had been trying hard not to think that they had just abandoned him in the hospital but now he was hoping that that was all it was.
"What do you think it could be?" Will asked.
"If Hotch is in intensive care they couldn't have their phones turned on while they're there. Even if he's awake and out of surgery, Haley and Jack are lost to him until the Reaper's been caught. He's going to need their support. Unfortunately, he's not in the same hospital as I am," Spencer said his voice wavering, giving lie to the positive message he was trying to convey.
"Please call me as soon as you hear from them?" Will asked, becoming less angry with his son's godfather as he realised that Spencer had to be seriously injured to be stuck in hospital with all this going on.
"Okay, can you call me when you hear from her too, or just text me and let me know she's okay?" Spencer asked.
"Sure Spence, you get some rest and feel better soon," Will replied. "Thanks for making sure Henry was protected."
"You're welcome Will. He's my godson too," Spencer replied smiling.
"He's asleep or I'd put him on for you to talk to," Will said.
"Give him my love," Spencer said.
"Will do Spence. Talk to you soon hopefully."
-o0o-
Spencer's phone finally rang and Spencer smiled to see JJ's name on the caller ID.
"Hi JJ," he answered cheerfully.
"What the hell, Spence? You sent marines to my house?" JJ yelled. She was exhausted and worried about both her injured friends and she'd arrived home, only to argue with Will, who had been frantically worrying about her all afternoon. She didn't mean to sound so accusing with Spencer but she was angry that he'd frightened her son and lover without telling her.
"Hotch is under protection at the hospital and Haley and Jack have gone into witness protection. I was worried that the Reaper would go after you and Henry," Spencer replied as if it was obvious.
"He's going after Hotch's family not mine!" JJ snapped.
"We don't know that, so far he's attacked Hotch and Morgan. Even if you were right, Hotch's family are all protected and out of his reach now. After Haley and Jack, who does Hotch care about the most?" Spencer argued.
"I don't know," JJ admitted. "I don't know his friends."
"The team!" Spencer declared unimpressed. "And the one thing that would hurt him more than any of us being hurt just now would be you losing Henry just as he's lost Jack into witness protection."
"Why freaking marines?" JJ asked. "Couldn't you have organised a protection detail that didn't stand out like a sore thumb?"
"I couldn't do anything myself from here. The friend who organised the protection details for me is not FBI he doesn't have access to enough agents to throw together two protection details. So, he used what he did have," Spencer replied trying to speak calmly. "You're welcome by the way."
JJ was silent for a moment.
"How is Hotch?" Spencer asked.
"Well if you'd gone to visit him you'd know," JJ snapped before hanging up on him.
-o0o-
Spencer closed his eyes tightly trying not to cry.
"Did she even ask how you are?" Tony asked, affronted on his friend's behalf.
"No and she berated me for not having been at the hospital visiting Hotch. I don't think she even remembers I was shot," Spencer said incredulously.
"Who did know you were shot?" Tony asked.
"I was on the phone to Emily when I was shot and she called the paramedics, Morgan, Rossi and JJ arrived at the scene just as they arrived. The paramedics were busy with Myers when I told them to call Emily because Hotch had been attacked," Spencer said picturing it clearly. "None of them asked the paramedics which hospital they were taking me to. They called Emily and rushed to St Bartholomew's to see Hotch."
"So they don't know that you're still a patient?" Tony said hopefully, trying to make sense of the absence of Spencer's team. "I'm sure you were downplaying your injury at the scene so maybe they thought you'd be discharged straight from the ED."
"Then why did nobody come to pick me up? Or even call to check on me? Did they expect me to manage to get myself home and up three flights of stairs alone on crutches?" Spencer asked still hurting.
"No need for that. You're coming home with me until you can walk up the stairs easily. That reminds me. I was at a crime scene in a condo in DC you might like if it gets put on the market. The press managed to sneak a photographer into the apartment and the crime scene in the lounge is fairly identifiable without major structural renovations, so it's going to be hard to sell. It might be heritage listed though. What's your top budget?" Tony said.
He honestly thought that the condo would be too big and too expensive for Spencer but it was in the right location and more importantly for the moment it stopped Spencer from dwelling on the abandonment by his team.
"I had a really successful couple of nights last time I went to visit Mom so I could go as high as $350,000 without a mortgage," Spencer replied.
"This might be a bit more than that, it was valued at $670,000 before the crime," Tony warned him.
"It was already on the market? I couldn't get that big a mortgage, I still have to pay for Bennington for my mom and the banks don't consider gambling profits as income," Spencer replied.
"It already being on the market is an advantage. It means that anyone who had been interested in it before the family were killed will recognise the crime scene in the papers. It also means that the owner will now be desperate to sell and if you put in an offer, particularly if your prepared to transfer the money to him immediately so he can get out of DC and away from the spotlight, he'll probably take it," Tony said encouragingly.
"Are you positive that he isn't the unsub?" Spencer asked.
"He has an alibi and no motive, one of the victims was his daughter," Tony replied.
Spencer nodded acceptingly. "Tell me about the condo?"
"It's on 4th Street NE just over half a mile from union station, it's two levels and an attic with a ground floor flat underneath, there's next to no garden but it has a secure garage accessed from the rear and a large balcony takes up the whole garage roof. It's four bedrooms (well only three in the main condo) which is a bit more than you need. All the downstairs windows have security grills. It's Victorian built in 1908 and the owners have modernised the kitchen and bathrooms but kept the wood and the stained glass," Tony rambled.
It's not in a large apartment block?" Spencer asked.
"No but it's no less secure than your apartment. You know that the feeling of security in being on the third or fourth floor of a large block is mostly an illusion," Tony said. "You might want to check that the front door panel is bulletproof glass but other than that security is pretty good."
"Who lives in the bottom flat? Do they own it or are the renting?"
"The bottom flat is currently included in the purchase. It's currently empty, the tenants moved out after the shooting. So, you could vet the new tenants and use their rent to pay your mortgage. With all the publicity from the crime you should put in an offer. I would have suggested $400,000 but you could offer $350,000 for super quick settlement and see if they go for it," Tony suggested.
"Sounds like it could be worth a look," Spencer agreed. He was well aware that Tony had brought the subject up to distract him from his hurt over the argument with JJ but that didn't mean he wasn't interested. He wasn't sure he wanted to own what sounded like a whole house but his apartment was too small for him and all his books, even now he had boxes stacked to the ceiling in the tiny room described by his landlord as a second bedroom. Not to mention that walking upstairs was going to hurt like hell for quite a while and the elevator in his building was broken down more often than not.
"You should go, it's getting late. Visiting hours must be over," Spencer said hesitantly once the nurse had left. He did feel safer with his friend there. And Tony's presence stopped him from dwelling on the fact that his team still hadn't contacted him since he was taken to hospital, but he didn't want to be a burden.
"I'm staying here. We're off rotation tomorrow anyway so it doesn't matter if I take some personal time. The Director offered me the day. I think she thinks we're romantically involved," Tony said waggling his eyebrows.
Spencer laughed as Tony had intended him to.
"Try to get some sleep, I'm here and the marines are outside the door. He's not getting in here Spence," Tony said.
"Thanks Tony. I don't know what I would've done without you," Spencer said reaching out to his friend.
Tony grabbed his hand and held it, "I'll be here when you wake up Spence. You need to try to rest."
A/N: In the actual show, JJ told the others she'd spoken to Spencer just after Haley and Jack left the hospital. Spencer told them he was fine, he didn't spend weeks in traction and there was no indication he was abandoned by the team.
A/N2: Thank you to Guest, Village-Mystic, paskinmath, 9, Ilikealotofstuffpieghosts, blue moon, R3d R0s3, Emergency70, LyokoHacker, IWillNeverAdmitToThis, Monstersinsidemyhead, ShoshonaTheRose, Roxysassyblue, Lhewitt, NotaFro, Melda91, Nesareli88, krabbycow1110 and theworldiscrazy for your support.